As we continue our journey of exploring the elements and shift into EARTH, let’s take a moment to call it into our lives, notice it around us, and come back home to the awareness of our bodies and the support beneath our feet.

Feel the solid ground beneath you.

Allow yourself to deeply notice the senses within your body and all that is around you.

From now until December, keep your senses focused on the earth around you. Taste it, feel it, listen to it move. Keep your imagination active as you filter your life through the lens of EARTH. How does earth show up in your life physically? How do the qualities of earth show up in your life metaphorically? How can you use earth to help you in your day-to-day? (For example, when you feel overwhelmed or flighty, you can use earth to help ground you in the present moment.)

As we begin to notice earth in our lives, we’ll not only gain a deeper understanding of the world around us, but we’ll also start to gain a deeper understanding of who we are.

Using EARTH as our lens through which we see our lives, we’ll begin to see things in a way we may not have otherwise, gaining clarity on all aspects of our BEing.

To help us hold this lens in place, it’s helpful to place reminders around our spaces and infuse our activities with earth. Here are some ideas you can use:

#1. Journal or Ponder About Earth – Taking some time to reflect on what you already know about the element of earth is a powerful way to begin our journey together with intention and trust in your own inner knowing. Journal, write, paint, doodle, or think about earth and how it plays a role in your life. Here are some prompts to get you started:

What are some words you would use to describe earth?

What symbols, lines, forms, or imagery do you associate with earth?

How are you a natural expression of earth?

What is your personal relationship with the earth? What do you know about the environment where you live?

Where do you need more support in your life? How can you create it during our exploration of earth?

#2. Create a Pinterest Board – Pinterest is full of inspiring earth and nature images, and a perfect place to create dream boards, energy boards, and more. Create a board full of earthy images that inspire you to connect with the earth around you. To get started, take a peek at my Earth Inspiration board HERE.

#3. Update Your Desktop and Mobile Backgrounds – Changing up my desktop and mobile background images is one of my favorite ways to remind me of a feeling, mood, or energy I aim to embody that day/week/month. What side of earth do you want to embody this week or this month? Do you want to call in the mystery of deep, darks forests? Or perhaps a sense of solid foundations and support with rocks or roots? Or the delicate beauty and wonderment of flowers? Keep this thought in mind as you search for an image that reminds you of this feeling. Images are powerful in evoking certain feelings and responses in us!

Here are a few of my favorites (click on the image to be taken to the original source for download):

#4. Infuse Your Creative Practice – Whether you art journal, create mandalas, draw, paint, dance, or whatever… infuse it with the energy of earth. Perhaps even use the earth around you to create! Or maybe you take some time to learn a new technique or gain a more solid foundation in a new medium. (PS If you’re interested in my process of Creative Soul Expression, my free earth e-book offers the foundational ideas to get you started!)

#5. Create an Altar – Creating a space to celebrate earth is a beautiful way to honor the element and to remind you of its presence throughout your day. Simply gather a few things that remind you of earth and display them together in a space that you’ll see during your day. Perhaps your nightstand? Or a shelf next to your desk? Some items you might consider adding to your altar are: rocks, roots, crystals, leaves, green or brown items, plants, photographs, etc.

#6. Eat More Raw Food – What kind of raw earthy foods can you bring more of into your diet? Think nuts, berries, leaves, vegetables, fruits… Connect with the earth through its bounty, savor the flavors with all your senses!

Some other ideas might be: go for a walk, take a moment to sit and notice your surroundings with all of your senses, try new foods, find support or ask for help, create a mandala with sticks and stones, follow me on Instagram, read my EARTH E-Book, dig your toes in the sand, hug a tree…

What other ideas do you have? Which of these will you try? Share in the comments below!

Lately, I find myself getting frustrated more. Feeling overwhelmed by the quickness of life and the constant moving. As I put my phone down, I feel disgusted by how much time it has just sucked from my life and the emptiness I feel. I promptly pick it up again. But this time, not to check another app, but to delete them. Goodbye Facebook. You’ve never done much for me anyway.

Ahh that feels good. What else can I simplify in my life?

This question rolls around in my mind for days as I navigate my daily life… almost to the point of complicating it more. Should I wake up earlier in the morning? How can I change my work projects to simplify them? What else can I change in my life?

As the weekend arrives, we gather up our towels and supplies to head to the beach. But it ends up not being so simple. The kids aren’t listening. Each task becomes a chore. We have three kids plus one friend. The house becomes a whirlwind of confusion. Get your bathing suit on! No, not outside! Where did your sister go again? Wait, your shoes! Where are your shoes!? Stop playing, I thought we were leaving!?

By the time we make it to the beach, my head is pounding. Why does everything seem to be so difficult? Is it just my expectations? The way I think about things? How can I simplify this? Am I thinking too much? Get over here, I’m trying to put sunscreen on you!

Ugh, I need some actual quiet time. I stand up, tell hubby I’m leaving, and off I go. The beach is busy today, but I know if I keep walking, it becomes quieter. I start my trek in search of silence, still pondering ways I can simplify my life.

Can I really get up earlier than the kids? I’m always so tired. I’d have to go to bed way earlier. But then I lose out on my nightly quiet time. Which doesn’t seem to be much these summer days. That article says you should do the most important thing first thing in the morning. Maybe I should try. I should meditate. Yoga, I’d like to do yoga. I need more exercise. Man, I should really eat healthier too. Morning smoothies sound good. How hard can it be? I haven’t done much art lately. I can never find alone time to actually do anything. Creating with my kids is hard. I always end up helping them instead of being able to focus on my own art. Just one more year. One more year and they’ll all be in school. I can wait. How can I simplify my creating? I guess just continue in my sketchbook. That’s quick and easy. But not so satisfying as paint. Oh how I miss paint. Ouch! That rock was sharp.

I pause to look around. Not a person in sight. The sandy beach gives way to thousands of rocks. I breathe in the warm air. Listen to the waves hitting the earth. Yes. This. This is what I needed. I start to move slower, balancing on the larger rocks so I don’t hurt my bare feet. With arms stretched wide, and a smile across my face, my mind calms with each careful step I take.

I stop when I could go no further. My feet are sore. But it feels so good. I rest myself on a nearby boulder and look out over the sea of rocks, enjoying the absence of the everyday bustling noise. My eye catches an odd shaped rock. I meander over to pick it up. It looks almost like a moon. Or perhaps a croissant. No, not a croissant. It feels sacred.

It feels warm in my hand, like it’s radiating love, or some mystical energy I yet to understand. It feels wrong to toss it back into the sea of rocks. To be lost again. Suddenly I know what I must do. Visions of balancing rocks dance through my memory as I rummage around looking for just the right rocks to hold this sacred piece of earth.

My mind and body become completely engrossed in turning the rocks this way and that, finding just the right weight and balance to make them stand upon each other. When three are in position, I gently pick up the sacred piece and carefully place it on top. It stays without fiddling. It rests upon those rocks like it it knew it was meant to be there. I breathe out a long exhale, realizing I’ve been holding it.

Breathing deeply in again, my body automatically turns to climb down the boulder to gather more rocks. I know just what I’m looking for… Round ones. With somewhat flat sides. Interesting color. Check. I grab as many as I can carry and head back up.

The edge of urgency is gone as I slip into a quiet, playful trance turning the rocks until they fit perfectly. And somehow, each rock I’ve chosen finds its place.

As I climb back down for yet another arm load, I realize… this is simplicity. Me. The earth. The quiet.

This is all I need to bring balance into my life.

Simple as that.

Later, as I slowly made my way back to my family, I felt like I had a treasure in my pocket. A secret to hide, or maybe to share. A few photographs and my memories of this day. Of the realization that I don’t need traditional meditation, or yoga, or smoothies, or hours of alone time to find peace and balance in my life.

All I need is me,

and the earth,

and a few deep breaths.

Psst! Our exploration in Earth is coming soon! Be sure you’re signed up for my mailing list to get the free Earth E-book which will be released on Sept 6th 2016. You can find AIR Here and WATER Here!

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About Kristal

Kristal is a creative life coach who helps women reclaim their creative magic, reconnect with their Soul, and realize their innate magnificence so they can lead a more authentic, fulfilling life. Click here to read more...